


Multidemensional

by Nidatoht



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Guns, Multi, Violence, future relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22375798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nidatoht/pseuds/Nidatoht
Summary: Wraith is on the hunt for information, but that's proving more difficult than in seems.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt & Wraith | Renee Blasey, Miwraith
Comments: 17
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello again. So I never expected to be writing again, to be honest, and as much as I wanted to continue my other fiction, "Mirages and Whispers", with the updates to the game and lore since I left, I decided that a lot clashed with the ideas I had going with that one. So here I am again. I promise not to make it look or feel like a repeat of the many chapters of that one, as I have some fresh ideas and plenty of new interactions I'd like to write. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I'm very sorry for my absence. 
> 
> With love,  
> Nidatoht.

There was chatter on the ship from some of the other legends. It was different, here in this place. Those who stared weren’t conducting tests, research, or trying to fog her mind with their anesthetics. The people who looked her way saw her as a threat, but that’s because she was. 

The Apex Games. 

They knew she wasn’t after their lives here, but rather their victory. It seemed that here in the Apex Games everyone was after something. She was here for information, and unfortunately for her, despite living in a day and age where information was _typically_ readily available at one’s fingertips, what she was after was buried beneath the heavily guarded arenas of the Apex Games. 

Her hunt for information brought her here. It took a few months of shaking down leads. It took time, and patience. It only felt like yesterday that she was stumbling as she ran away from the facility, trying to get as far away as possible as that woman, the other “ _her”_ sacrificed herself for her own hunt for information. 

Those months made her colder, or maybe just less scared. Renee Blasey wasn’t sure if she knew the difference anymore. 

She had seen some of the faces around her before, from their wins or devastating losses. Some of them did research within the bases, others were often seen on talk shows celebrating their most recent victory. 

From what she gathered, the public sure loved the displays of violence. 

When she first signed up for the Games, they suggested a nickname or stage name. Some came up with their own, some let the conductors of the game come up with something for them. Renee decided to use the codename given to her by the IMC: Wraith. 

And so she became. This would be her first time in the Apex Games. She had done as much research as she could once she found a lead that suggested the information she wanted was within some of the facilities located there. The Apex Games were run by a group simply going by the “Syndicate.” Apparently, they had invested an absurd amount of technology in this blood sport. Drones surrounded the arena in order to capture the events, and a modified containment forcefield, nicknamed "the Ring" herded fighters closer together in order to keep the events livelier. From what she gathered, all the expensive technology was a small investment, because the Games raked in plenty of money, but even the Ring was nothing compared to the ability to revive the participants of the Games. At first, Renee didn’t believe it possible, but she had looked more into it, and sure enough, the Syndicate had _some_ ability to revive the participants should they fall in battle. The knowledge had eased her worries a bit, but _only_ that, a bit. 

Renee had no plans on dying though. She had information to find, and she’d fight tooth and nail to get to it, but there was a problem she hadn’t exactly figured a way around yet. For one, the Apex Games teamed up fighters with two other squad members. While people could choose their squads, there was a system in place that randomized squad mates. She hadn’t bothered trying to find members that would work well with her. She had planned on trying to sneak away as soon as their boots hit the ground. Then there was another problem. The drones that circled the canyon. With their eyes everywhere, she might find it difficult to get where she needed to go. 

The jump ship stirred to life and she could feel the hum of the engine through her boots. She blinked in surprise and looked around as the faces around her were now staring down at their banners. 

She pulled her own banner forward and the screen illuminated with a countdown. It seemed the squads were being generated for those who hadn’t opted to go in with selected allies. Suddenly, two faces were on the screen that she vaguely recognized due to their celebrity. A pale blue MRVN unit with a smiling symbol on his chest screen. From what she knew, his nickname was “Pathfinder.” A fan favorite, due to his friendly demeanor, but what she had seen of him in the arena, he could easily reposition himself using his grappling hooks and ziplines to give himself the advantage. Then there was the other face. Tanned, with a beard and curly mop of hair on his head by the nickname “Mirage.” He was rather popular due to his charm and confidence on the battlefield. He liked to show off, and often used his holographic decoys to throw off his enemies. They could do well enough without her, she supposed. 

"I'm telling you, Pathy, if we go to Artillery, we'll have a great time. I hear it's gonna have crazy amounts of gear we can grab." A voice broke her out of her thoughts as they approached. 

"Negative. Artillery will be greatly contested. I suggest we land in the swamps. There will be plenty loot for all, and we will not be overwhelmed by the enemy!" A robotic, chipper voice replied as the footfalls and metal steps paused just before her. 

Renee looked up to the two of them who were both taller than her, the MRVN unit being the tallest. 

Before she could speak, the MRVN unit piped up. “Hello, new friend! We are your squad mates today. I will be leading the jump.” 

No, she needed to go somewhere she could find more information. She wasn’t bound to find anything in the swamps. “Um-” 

The man, Mirage, leaned against a crate and ran his fingers through his hair. “Hey there, the name’s Mirage. You might’ve heard of me. You must be new around here.” 

She squinted at him, but before she could reply, turbulence shook the ship. 

“Whoa! Everything’s okay, right?” Mirage looked around, a nervous look in his eye. 

Then, over the speakers, a feminine voice called out: “Prepare for launch, the Apex Games starts in sixty seconds…” 

Renee shook her head. Focus. She had to focus. She would just deal with these two later, maybe make her way to one of the facilities near what was called the Repulsor. 

She looked to her two squad mates and nodded. “Alright, let’s go then.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of many battles.

Wind whipped loose strands of hair against her face. Pathfinder had guided them off the ship, and she had to admit her stomach leaped into her throat when she saw the drop below her. She managed to look around her, at the vastness of it all. King’s Canyon seemed so small in pictures and in streams, but as the ground rushed closer beneath her, it was massive. It made her heart skip a beat. 

Off in the distance, she could see streams of colored smoke. Dive trails, from what she knew, in order to keep track of other contestants. She stuck close to Pathfinder as he guided them towards the swamps. She didn’t expect King’s Canyon to be so… humid. The closer they got she could feel it hit her face like a wall. She didn’t really like that much. 

Pathfinder, of course, didn’t seem to mind, but neither did Mirage. He let out a whoop of excitement and sent out two decoys hurtling towards the swamp as he broke off from their formation. Most likely to get gear, or to throw off any potential enemies that had followed them. She hadn’t exactly been able to watch to see if that had been the case. 

“Engaging thrusters!” Pathfinder said, and she followed. 

Her thruster pack switched directions and slowed down their descent. She didn’t exactly make it to a building, and her boots immediately sunk a couple of inches into muck. She forced back the urge to make a face at the feeling at the sound of it as it suctioned to her shoes. It took some effort to lift her feet as she pushed herself into a run towards the closest hut. 

Renee threw open the door and was met with some disappointment. Armor, level one. The armor was another unique technology of these Games. Hard-light armor that could defend the wearer from gunfire, but only for so long before it shattered and then the legend started taking hits. Depending on the level of armor one found, the better or worse it was. Level one wasn’t exactly the best of gear she could find but it would do. With a simple touch of her hand, the armor vanished, and her banner projected the armor onto her body. She didn’t look much different, but there was a faint white shimmer that told her it was there. 

As good as armor was, she needed a gun, so she moved off to the next building. There, she found an assault rifle, an R-301 and some modifications for it. By the time she had finished clearing the area, she heard a whisper.

_“Someone’s watching you.”_

She immediately ducked behind cover only to have a bullet whiz past her and it embedded itself into the wood next to her, splintering it. She cursed under her breath. 

“Someone’s got a shot on me.” Renee said over the communication devices, and she could hear a grappling hook being shot off somewhere off in the distance. 

Pathfinder and Mirage must have been a bit far, but she heard heavy footsteps through the mud near her. She turned her eyes up towards the ceiling and let out another curse. 

“Grenade out!” She heard Mirage call out. 

“Flanking them!” Pathfinder responded, so Renee took her chance. 

She inhaled a deep breath and threw the door open. Two of them had already turned towards her squad mates, and the third had been in the process of trying to kick the door down. The momentum of the kick sent him forward. He was tanned and had pockmarks on his surprised face. She didn’t recognize him. Maybe he was another newcomer, but it didn’t matter. She raised her gun and unloaded a magazine into him. There was a blue crystalline shatter as his armor broke, and she realized she hadn’t scrounged up enough ammo. She leapt upon him, drawing her knife in the time it took her to close the distance. She drove it into the man’s neck, and he let out a gurgled cry. It happened just as she had been told it would happen. 

It didn’t help the bile that formed in her throat. 

She grabbed whatever armor and grenades he had on his person. She dumped the R-301 for his Triple Take sniper rifle and ammo. She rushed outside just as Pathfinder put one last bullet through the last enemy. 

“Wonderful job, team.” 

Mirage let out an exaggerated sigh as he pulled a shield battery from his inventory and began charging his shields. “Yeah, we did pretty alright, but there’s apparently a new kill leader. Soon to be me.” He flashed them both a cheeky grin. 

“The ring is closing soon, let us move, friends.” Pathfinder reminded, and Renee nodded. 

Mirage looked a touch disappointed, but they began to head east. 

Despite knowing that she’d get warnings from her… they were called, she kept her head on a swivel, looking for any threats. 

“Hey, looks like some stuff over there. Gonna go check it out.” Mirage called out after a few minutes of running. 

They had entered the remnants of a forest fire, it seemed. Mirage broke off, and Wraith glanced to Pathfinder questioningly. 

“Maybe we should head south towards Hydro Dam.” she suggested. 

“It wouldn’t be very helpful for our-” 

She didn’t hear the rest of his sentence, as she saw an arcing grenade. Just as it landed on the ground and exploded into toxic gas, she activated the device on her arm. She ignored the excruciating pain of using it, and simply dove into what she had begun to call the void. 

It was cold, but it was free of the distractions of gunfire, gas, smoke, and enemies. All around her she could see more of them, the other “hers”, and she watched as they handled the “situation” differently. 

One of them looked to her, and said _“Help Mirage, win the fight.”_

She opened her mouth to retort, but she simply barked out a _“Now!”_ which kicked her into action. 

She ran and leapt from the void. She slid down the hill, towards a cloud of dissipating toxic gas, through which she could see the familiar yellow suit of Mirage on the ground. 

Renee opened fire, placing a few precise shots and drawing the attention of the man. He wore a yellow lab apron, she thought, and wore a gas mask and goggles to protect his eyes. She could have sworn she had learned about him. “Caustic,” maybe Just as before, his armor shattered just as he began to return fire. Her own armor began to crack, but she reloaded and finished him off, two bullets from the triple take tearing through his wider form, bringing him down. 

She didn’t take a moment to catch her breath, simply reached down and pulled Mirage to his feet. She shoved a syringe into his hand, which he quickly took and began to use as she covered him. Sure enough, whoever that Caustic had been with had showed up, and opened fire. Apparently, the meds were enough for Mirage, as he pulled his Wingman free and took three well placed shots, and the woman fell. 

“Thanks for the save.” Mirage said, flashing her a smile. 

“Great job, team! That was the whole squad!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad moves on to Bridges.

“Come, friends. There’s a survey beacon nearby.” Pathfinder chirped excitedly, leading the way. 

It had taken them a little bit of time to catch their breath and ensure Mirage was fully healed up before they began to move again. Renee and Pathfinder kept him covered, but it didn’t seem like the gunfire had attracted any other fighters in the area. That didn’t ease the tension building in her shoulders, though. 

_“Keep your profile low.”_ A whisper reminded and she did. 

Wraith scanned the area as Pathfinder connected to the survey beacon. “I have downloaded the location of the next ring. I believe we should travel through bridges into the market!” 

Renee furrowed her brows. She glanced southward, towards the Repulsor. She believed that might have been a better option for the information she was seeking than the Bridges or the Market. She checked her banner and looked over the map and frowned. The ring would be closing soon. She wouldn’t even get that much time there. 

“Sounds good to me.” Mirage said, shooting the MRVN a finger gun and they both looked to Renee. 

“Right, let’s do this.” She nodded and headed into the hanger within Hydro Dam with them. 

Even if she didn’t have time during this game, there’d be other opportunities, future opportunities. She had to keep trying. She just hoped she didn’t end up like the other, the reason she was out here now. 

So, she pushed herself to run, sweat making her hair stick to her face. 

“I will scout from above while we push into the tunnels.” Pathfinder said and used his zipline to get onto an overlook that sat above the bridges and river below. 

Renee scanned the area and the buildings as they pushed across the lower bridge. It was clear, or at least that’s what she thought until she heard the whisper. 

_“Shooter, move.”_

She ducked behind a support structure that held up a cover over the bridge just as a sound like a crack of thunder went off and she heard a cry of pain. She looked behind her to see Mirage had fallen forward, bleeding onto the worn, wooden planks. The shot had torn through his thorax and shattered his armor in one blow. 

“Damn! Ah… I meant crap. Mom’s gonna give me hell for that.” He hissed through his teeth; his words strained. 

His arms shook as he tried to push himself to a crawl. Agony seemed to color his features. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest as a blanket of gunfire came from the higher bridge. Bullets embedded themselves in the wood around Mirage. 

She raised her gun and peaked around the corner, pulling the trigger and returning fire as she ducked forward and grabbed Mirage by his suit and dragged him towards another pillar. She fired again, but bullets whizzed past her and the cover she had splinted. A piece of wood hit her cheek. She leaned against it, hoping the pillar would protect her while she figured something out, but suddenly there was another sound of gunfire, but not directed at them. It must have been an energy rifle. 

Bullets stopped impacting near them and Renee got the chance to peek around the corner again. Pathfinder was swinging on his grappling hook, launching himself towards the enemies. He seemed to have already taken down two of them, as he made for the third, a large hulking man. 

His metallic feet collided against the man's back, and she could have sworn she heard a crack as the nearly half-ton MRVN unit collided with him and sent him crashing down to the water below. She _did_ hear the splash. 

“I killed the whole squad, exciting!” 

Renee didn’t realize she was holding her breath, but she did realize Mirage had gone quiet and wasn’t making some witty comment. He was still bleeding. 

She didn’t waste any further time dropping to her knees and stabbing a syringe into his chest to get him back on his feet. He still looked wide eyed and shocked, so she pushed a Phoenix kit into his hands which he quickly started to use. 

Pathfinder checked the bodies before rejoining them and by the time Mirage had topped himself up, Renee could see the ring moving towards them in the distance, closing in on them. 

“Ring’s moving but we’re pretty close. Let’s get to the tunnels.” Mirage said, still looking a bit weary. 

Renee gave him a small nod, and on they moved. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battles start to come to an end.

They swept through the tunnels without any interference, before they found themselves on the rear side of the Market. The building loomed ahead. 

“Miss Wraith. Will you check inside while I scope out the area? Mirage can skirt around the canyon walls for any other movement near us.” 

Renee studied the MRVN unit before nodding, her eyes watching the way the screen on his chest flickered from a question mark to a smiling face. 

She readied her gun as she entered. She could see just a bit across the building and there didn’t seem to be any movement, but she imagined there were many places that someone could easily hide behind. So, she played it slow and careful, checking her corners. 

She thought she was being meticulous, but even the whispers couldn’t warn her fast enough as bullets from a Mozambique tore into her shoulder. She was too far from any sort of cover to hide and collect herself, so she did the next best thing. She dove into the void, returning to the cold, quiet space as she dashed for something to hide behind and locate the danger. 

When she dove out into the real world, she was met with a thick cloud of smoke. It burned her lungs, but not in the way Caustic’s gas did. She could barely see through it, but the smoke shifted in one direction, so she tried to fire. She sprayed bullets from her Flatline, but she didn’t seem to have any luck. 

Renee ground her teeth as she fumbled to reload her gun, and then suddenly a woman was on her. She recognized her, a woman who went by the name Bangalore. 

Bangalore raised her gun and fired. The bullets ripped through her torso, and the force made her fall back. She had a smug look on her face. 

Renee tried to crawl backwards, away from her when she saw movement in her peripheral. 

Bangalore must have noticed it too, but she turned to fire at him. 

Renee couldn’t even think to yell at him to duck behind cover when the woman pulled the trigger and the bullets found their target, only for their target to dissipate into nothingness. Then she saw him, standing there with his wingman to Bangalore’s head. 

“Sorry… did I confuse you?” Mirage said, a cocky smirk on his lips. 

“Motherfu-” before she could finish the word, Mirage pulled the trigger and just like that, she fell over lip. 

Mirage made a show of giving a decoy a fist bump and it dissipated into nothing just like when it had been shot. 

She didn’t even realize there was a tiny smile playing at her lips as he reached down to pull her to her feet. 

“Thanks, wasn’t expecting her.” 

“No probs, think I still owe you one anyways.” He chuckled and led her out of the building. “Hey Pathy, did ya see anyone else?” 

“I believe our opponent was alone. Maybe her allies fell before we got here, and she was hiding out until the ring moved again.” 

Renee watched as Mirage shrugged, before something caught her eye. More ammo for her sniper rifle, the Triple Take. She scooped up the ammunition before following Mirage out. 

She checked her banner. “Four squads left.” she said, more to herself than to her squad mates. She studied the map, realizing that all the destinations that could have warranted her any sort of information were now far out of ring, and the ring would surely kill her if she tried to wander into it now. She pursed her lips. 

Pathfinder was peering through the scope of his gun. “I see enemies fighting in the distance near Skull Town, we should join them, friends!” 

Renee looked up and sure enough, even without a scope, she could see that someone had just called in a mortar strike. 

Pathfinder launched a zipline to the rocks surrounding the outside of Skull Town, so Mirage and Renee climbed up to where he had situated himself. Pathfinder took the zipline first. 

“Isn’t this fun?” 

She and Mirage shared a questioning look before following, their thruster packs pushing them along on the zipline. 

They quickly got to the other side and skirted around the rocks. The sound of gunfire in the distance got closer, and the mortar strike seemed to end. She could see a dome shield in the distance. From what she gathered, it was a fan favorite legend, Gibraltar fighting. She also saw something projecting a blue shield as a woman was in the middle of reviving her ally. Luckily for them, the shield was facing the bulk of the fighting. 

“Pathfinder, look.” She pointed them out, and the MRVN unit didn’t hesitate in firing a shot which was enough to knock the woman onto the ground beside her ally. 

She could see the massive man in the distance turn to look at what was happening to his allies while two other teams began to push onto them. 

Renee glanced at Mirage and Pathfinder. “A portal will open here, follow me through when it opens.” 

A question mark appeared on Pathfinder’s screen, and confusion etched itself into Mirage’s features, but she activated the device on her arm. 

The other her never told her that opening dimensional rifts would be far more painful than simply diving into the void, though she supposed she wasn’t given the chance to properly train Renee. She didn’t know how else to handle it besides clenching her jaw as tight as possible and gripping her arm. It seemed Gibraltar had fallen to a grenade, and the other two teams had turned their attention on each other. 

Renee climbed up onto a building and opened the portal. Sweat beaded down her temples, but she exhaled to get some relief from the pain. There was a sound before Pathfinder excited the portal looking a bit disoriented. 

“Whoa… what in the world was that?” Something like shame must have crossed her features, because Mirage quickly said, “It was pretty spect-, spesh- cool. Pretty cool. Yeah.” Shame was apparent on his own features, but she decided to ignore it. 

She readied an arc star and flung it at the closest enemy. It found its mark, and Pathfinder grappled his way to higher ground to take care of enemies with his sniper. 

Mirage on the other hand ran forward to the edge of the building before activating all his holo-devices. All the sudden, the real Mirage had vanished from her vision and several decoys fell to the ground below and took off running. The sight of several newcomers sprinting towards the battlefield must have drawn some attention, because enemies turned their attention to them, but just like every time one of them was shot, they simply dissipated. 

Renee pushed forward, raising her triple take and taking a few shots at the closest team. She heard a cry of ambush, but it was too late as they were dropped to the ground. One tried to run for cover and Renee tried to take another shot, but she realized she needed to reload. Thinking quickly, she pulled her knife free and flung it. It embedded itself in the woman’s shoulder blade, and she fell to the ground with a cry. 

She could hear Pathfinder’s sniper behind her, and she realized Mirage had pushed ahead to the last team, so she sprinted after him, switching to her Flatline. She began firing at the closest person, who surprisingly managed to turn on a dime and return fire. Bullets shattered her armor, and she realized a grenade was being thrown her way. She tried to dive into the void, but the device didn’t activate in time, and a bullet ripped through her leg. She let out a cry of pain and collapsed. It had to have splintered bone, because the pain was nearly enough to make her faint. 

Pathfinder was grappling closer to them. 

Mirage was deftly dodging bullet fire. 

She was leaving a trail of disturbed sand and blood as she pulled herself towards a rock for cover. It didn’t help, because a masked man came around the corner and raised a knife to her. 

He must have been too distracted by her to not realize there was a MRVN unit aiming directly at him. 

His blood splattered against the rock and her own face. 

Pathfinder took another shot at the two enemies that Mirage was dealing with and he seemed to deal with on last one before Mirage’s bullets found their mark. Or at least, that’s what she assumed.

Silence fell over the battlefield, but only for a moment, because then the announcer was announcing them champion. Renee’s ears were ringing, and she was a bit shell shocked. Pathfinder and Mirage came over to pull her to her feet, but she winced in pain when she tried to stand on her own for the film drones. The two of them helped to support her as they waved to the cameras, victorious. 

But Renee wasn’t exactly feeling like she had won anything. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith mulls over her investigation, and needs a break.

Nearly a month had passed since Renee and her squad had won the Games. There would be a new Games in another week, but it wasn’t like she was sitting around doing nothing. She was still doing her best to chase down leads. King’s Canyon was situated on the planet of Solace. She had learned a lot before joining the Games. For one, that while the Syndicate worked out of Solace and kept much of their business here, their headquarters were on a different planet. That didn’t change the fact there were several branch offices located across the planet that helped the Syndicate accomplish things like maintain communications to other planets, run the streams of the Games, and even house the Legends in some cases. There _were_ also the harder to locate research facilities. She had been sent information regarding a subterranean research facility somewhere in Solace but getting in was near impossible, at least from what she had learned during her last two weeks of scouting. 

Then there was the matter of the sender of said information. There was a weird logo or symbol in the message, and the message had not only been encrypted but written in code too. According to her ever so helpful _whispers_ , the encryption alone was an easier to crack encryption. An ancient algorithm by today's standards, Rivest-Shamir-Adleman from what she remembered, that only had 1024-bits, which was supposed to make that easier for her to deal with. It didn’t. It took her *weeks* with the work of some fast computers and the guidance of other _hers._ Renee wanted to scream into her pillow some nights out of frustration, and on others, she did. 

Of course, her frustration didn’t end when she had finally encrypted the message only to find that the message had been written in some code that had taken her another week to figure out. 

When it had finally all come together, she realized how invaluable the information was. The most peculiar thing had been a symbol of what looked like a hooded face. As much as she was curious about someone who might be able to help her further, she was simply glad for the lifeline and decided to chase down the lead. 

That, of course, was before the Games. Now, she had competed for the first time and had enough time to investigate the research facility, but that didn’t really change many things. She had learned that the facility had posed itself as a three-story building that was researching cures to some of the diseases that plagued some of the Outlands. Some of her attempts to get into the building went less than swell, having to use several methods of escape to avoid unwanted attention. 

It was today that she had decided it was best to take a break before security started to keep an eye out for her. She had also figured it’d be a good idea to study at any potential new legends that would be competing, but the information wasn’t the easiest to come across sometimes. The media didn’t care too much about the newcomers, and she had been grateful for that. 

But now there were a plethora of people who wanted to interview her. Mirage and Pathfinder had given her some warning, but nothing had given her an exact idea of how many people wanted to get to know the “New, up and coming hot shot.” 

Renee thought it was ridiculous, and she didn’t like being surrounded by reporters who were hungry for a new story. People sometimes made her uncomfortable. _Especially_ when they were shoving recording devices in her face. Mirage had noticed it when they first exited the facility that the legends gathered in before being shipped off the King’s Canyon. He had distracted some of the reporters and let her get away. She had wanted to say a quick thank you to him before she left, but he had been far too busy telling stories about their heroics. 

Now she trudged into a bar. It was only about two in the afternoon, but she had been running on as little sleep as humanly possible. She didn’t really have a place to call her own, and she didn’t trust sleeping in Syndicate facilities. Sometimes she scrounged some money together for a roach motel. Hostels were an option if she really needed some sleep, but she didn’t exactly like that option either. Far too public. 

She plopped down at the bar and propped her elbow on the bar, only to slump over and let her chin rest in her hand. It felt good to get off her feet. 

She hadn’t given an order yet, but a drink was slid in front of her. It was bright blue, as if it had a glow to it. Renee raised a brow and looked up at the bar tender. "I didn't order-" 

Her eyes fell upon a familiar tanned face with brown eyes and a curly mop of hair on his head. He wasn’t wearing the gear she typically saw him wear in the Apex Games, but then again, he probably had better clothes than what she had to wear. He wore a pair of worn blue jeans and a dark orange shirt. She could see a hint of a tattoo snaking down from his left shoulder. He had a grin on his face. “Fancy seeing you at the Paradise Lounge. What brings you in, Miss…? Or should I go with Wraith? Wasn’t sure if that was your actual name or an a- alie- ally…” He furrowed his brows for a moment. “Nickname.” 

Renee blinked. “Um… it’s Renee.” she said quietly. 

His smile widened, his eyes brightening. “Renee! That’s a lovely name. Why’d you pick the name Wraith? I picked the name Mirage- well, my mom picked the name Mirage cause, y’know.” A second Mirage appeared next to her, leaning against the bar top. It had a cocky smirk and winked at her before vanishing. 

“It’s… a story for another time.” 

As soon as the words left her lips, he gave an understanding nod. “All good, all good. Well shoot, didn’t properly introduce myself. Elliott Witt, the great Mirage and extra-... exter-... extravagant, yeah, that’s it. Extravagant teammate.” He did a little finger gun at her. 

She blinked at him again, unsure of what to say before she simply repeated his name, committing it to memory. “Elliott, that is… that’s also a nice name.” 

“Course it is, my mom picked it.” He chuckled before shaking his head. He motioned to the drink. “You look like you need that, or a nap… or hell, maybe both. Made it just for you. Reminds me of that power you’ve got going on… which, I never got to say anything, but it helped us win the Games. Good job.” 

“Thanks, it’s… I actually don’t really understand it too well at the moment.” She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before looking at the drink. 

She furrowed her brows at the bright color before bringing it to her lips and taking a sip. It tasted sweet and fresh, but there was the familiar aftertaste of alcohol that made her throat burn. Not that she minded the burn, when she had first escaped, she had found the alcohol she could get her hands on helpful for drowning out some of the voices and the pain. 

Mirage, no, Elliott looked pleased with himself when she hummed with satisfaction. “See, I know the best drinks for my patrons. Now…” He places his palms flat against the bar top, leaning his weight against the surface. “You never mentioned why you wandered in here? Or were you looking to see me again?” He waggled a brow at her. 

Renee sputtered. “N-no. I was just… I didn’t even realize you worked here.” 

Elliott let out a chuckle. “No worries, I’m just messing with you. ‘Sides, I don’t just work here. I own the place.” 

He stared at her with an expectant look for a few moments before she gave in. 

“I was looking for somewhere to get a drink.” She raised her glass and downed the rest of the drink, which earned an alarmed look from him. 

“Easy now, tiger. These are strong, and you’re looking worn out anyways.” 

“I’m fine.” She said, maybe a bit too sharply. “I _am_ tired, though. I’ve rented a motel here and there, but I haven’t really stayed in many places since I got to Solace.” 

“You don’t live here?” 

She shook her head. 

“You could probably afford a nice place with your winnings.” 

She pursed her lips. “I could. Just… haven’t found a nice place, I guess.” She shrugged and tapped the glass. “This was good, can I have another one? I have credits.” 

“This last one’s also on the house but take it easy.” He began whipping up another drink. Mixing all sorts of juice and alcohol together until he was pouring the same bright blue concoction together. 

She accepted the drink and took a sip. 

“Thinking about calling that one the ‘Wraith’. What do you think?” He propped up his chin in his hands, amusement shining in his eyes. 

She let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. “Too sweet for that, maybe.” 

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “If you need a place to crash, there’s always the facilities for the legends.” He’d lean in and faux whisper. “But I hear a bunch of weirdos stay there pretty often. Seriously, though. If you need a place that isn’t there and you got a bit of rent money, I’ve got a guest bedroom.” He pointed up towards the ceiling, and when she raised a brow, he added: “My apartment is just above this place. I can give you a tour of the place.” 

Renee studied Elliott for a few long seconds. A place to stay didn’t sound so bad. Maybe until the next games. She could get some rest, maybe. She didn’t fare well when she was sleep deprived. “Sure, a tour.” 

Elliott looked happy at the answer and once again, a decoy appeared at the bar in the same attire he had been wearing. “Come on, the stairs are just over here.” 

She glanced at her drink and decided to bring it along as she stood and followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a bit about encryption from my studies. Apologies for geeking out a bit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith gets to relax.

The apartment was bigger than she expected, but she supposed it shouldn’t have been too surprising with how big the bar downstairs was. Elliott had given her an entire tour of the place. He warned her that it could get loud and rowdy downstairs, but if she didn’t mind that, she was free to take the guest bedroom, which was the least decorated room in the place. He said it was because his mother typically stayed there when she visited, and she liked a clean space. His room, on the other hand, was a mess, but not in a gross way. There was fan art that was sent to him on holo frames all over his room, even some hand-crafted gifts. 

When she asked about it, he simply chuckled sheepishly and explained that the fans had taken the time to make them, they deserved to be displayed. 

Then there was a small space he had deemed his “lab.” He had gone into a long explanation as he tried to tidy up the space, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. Elliott had apparently worked with his mother to make the holo devices, and he maintained them constantly, but was working on some new upgrades. For one, an improvement on his cloaking technology, as his current version of it was a bit… underwhelming. He had dived into the finer details of his work, and before they knew it, an hour or so had passed. 

“Crap. People are starting to come into the bar. Gonna have to head back down. So, you interested in renting?” He waggled his brow in a way that was meant to be inviting. It was amusing. 

She gave the space another look around. It was quiet here. Not the space, of course, but in this space, the voices were quieter, calmer. She didn’t feel she was in immediate danger, so she shrugged. “Sure, but if I can… I’d like to pay weekly. I have to travel some weeks…” 

“Psh, it’s fine. I’m gonna draft up a small contract cause… mom always said to protect yourself. You can read it over when it’s drafted. Just stating that you agree to pay weekly and if you don’t, I get to give you the boot. I’ve had squatters before and lemme tell you, _not fun._ ” Elliott sighed at the memory. “You can get some rest while I work, unless you’d like to retrieve whatever stuff you have.” 

She stared at him. 

Elliott stared back. “You do… you do have stuff, right?” 

Renee looked down at her clothes and picked at the collar of her jacket. “This… this is all I have at the moment.” 

Elliott’s shoulders seemed to deflate. He stared at her, seeming to take in whatever details she gave off with her clothes and demeanor. His dark eyes met hers and suddenly, as quick as the moment had come, it was gone. 

“No probs. I’ve been there.” He laughed to himself in a way that made her feel like that was untrue. “Here, lemme get you a shirt and some sweatpants. They might be a little big on you, but you can get a shower in. Oh, or a bath. Baths always make me feel real com-comf-comfortable.” He stumbled over his words again. “If you’re around in the morning I can show you to a few places, get you some stuff to keep here. It’s all good.” He had walked towards his room mid-sentence, but he raised his voice a bit to make sure she could still hear him. 

When he returned, he handed her some clothes that were messily folded, as if he tried to make them presentable before delivering them to her. “I can show you how to start a bath or a shower, depending on what you want.” 

“Bath.” She said, a little too firmly. Her mind flashing back to a time where handlers would force her into freezing showers to make sure she was sanitary before more tests. 

“Bath it is.” He led her into the bathroom and pointed out the button combination and how to adjust for temperature. 

When she nodded, he placed a gentle hand on her arm. She nearly flinched, pulling away a few inches. He noticed. 

“If you need me, I’m right downstairs. If you change your mind, no skin off my back. Or is it ‘no skin off my nose’?” He shook his head. “It’ll be fine, is what I’m trying to say. Enjoy your bath, get some rest, I think you need it.” 

She stared at him and gave him a subtle nod. It must have been answer enough, because he took his leave. Renee stood there, clutching the soft fabric of the clothes as she heard his footsteps retreat and the door close behind him. 

Slowly, her eyes shifted up to look at her reflection in the mirror. Sometimes it started her how different she looked. So much time had passed, and despite that, she could still see the terrified girl, too afraid to act against those who wished to harm her. 

Her hair was dirty and tangled. It took some coaxing to get it out of the bun. There were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Her lips, dry and cracked, were set in a deep frown, and her face was gaunt. 

Renee shifted her gaze from her reflection, afraid the whispers would start and berate her. She followed the instructions Elliott had provided earlier, and the bath began to fill with hot water. 

She paused as she looked at the bracer on her arm. It gave a small read out, but she carefully pulled it off. She had only taken it off once since she escaped. Pushing down memories, she began to peel layers of clothing off. Finally, she stepped into the warm water and let herself sink in. 

It felt… nice. A sensation she didn’t think she’d ever feel. It was relaxing. She let herself sink further until the water was just below her nose and after a few moments longer, she let her entire head submerge before sitting back up. She looked around at all the soaps and scrubs around, choosing on one she figured would be fine and cleaned up. Her hair took a while to detangle. 

When she was done, she pulled on the sweatshirt and sweatpants that Elliott had provided. They smelled nice, but she couldn’t put a name to the scents. 

She gathered her gear and the device and trudged to the guest bedroom. She could faintly hear stools scraping against the floor as they were being moved and chatter below. Her head still buzzed from the alcohol earlier. She let her clothes fall to the ground, setting the device on the bed before she let herself fall into it. 

The bed was much firm, but the pillows and blankets were plush. She couldn’t name a time that she felt something so nice. She couldn’t name a time that she had felt so relaxed, or a time she had fallen asleep so quickly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She got some rest. Or too much.

Renee came to. She ached. Her body ached. Her head ached. She was hesitant to open her eyes, but she finally pulled herself from the claws of sleep. Sunlight bathed the room in sunlight, which made her furrow her brows together. What time was it? 

She twisted awkwardly at the waist, trying to read down for the small tablet she kept on her person, only to realize the pile of clothes had been moved. She pushed herself up as panic rose in her chest to get a better look. The action made her go lightheaded, but she focused. Something on the nightstand caught her attention. The bracer was placed gingerly on the nightstand, with her tablet right beside it. There was also a bottle of water. 

Her shoulders slumped in relief, and she moved to grab the water bottle first. She unscrewed the top and took one sip, before chugging it. She didn’t realize how parched she was until the first taste had met her tongue. She needed more of it. She put the water bottle down a bit too roughly and it toppled off the nightstand, then she checked the tablet. 

It was one in the afternoon. 

Renee blinked, thinking she was still half asleep and not focused, but no, it was one in the afternoon. 

Water, she needed more water. 

She pulled herself out of bed and stumbled for the door of the room. She opened the door only to be blinded by more sunlight glaring from the big windows. She rubbed her eyes. She could hear running water in the kitchen, and animated talking. 

She crept closer and realized that Elliott was talking about his holo-devices again, this time he spoke while he cooked up something that smelled delicious. He sounded cheerful, and when she rounded the corner, she could see a redhead sitting at the table. She was tapping away at her own mobile device, nodding along absentmindedly to his words, occasionally throwing in an “Mhm.” 

Renee cleared her throat. 

The two of them turned to look at her, and she immediately wished she could crawl back towards her room. 

Elliott looked surprised and the woman gave her a questioning look. 

Renee opened her mouth to speak, but the woman spoke first. “I didn’t know you had a roommate… wait… isn’t that the new girl you guys won your last match with? Wraith?” Excitement met the woman’s eyes as she stood quickly and moved closer to Renee. 

Renee shrunk back a bit in surprise. 

“You were _so_ cool in your first match. Really impressive. Can I get a picture with you?” The woman leaned in, raising her phone as if she was already moving to take a picture with her. 

Elliott was suddenly there, an arm between them. He wrapped it around the redhead and guided her back to the table. “Don’t worry about her much. Pretty sure beginner’s luck got her there, and an amazing teammate.” 

Renee felt shock and anger at his words, but then she caught it. He turned her head just enough her way and winked at her. 

“Hey, didn’t you mention something about a meeting you had to go to?” Elliott asked the woman as he guided her towards the door. 

“Oh yeah!” She grabbed her purse and pulled Elliott into a sloppy kiss before breaking off. “Call me!” She moved for the door. 

“Yeah, totally. See you soon.” He waved before shutting the door behind her. 

Once it was locked, Renee could see his shoulders slump. She furrowed her brows at him. “Was that your partner?” 

Elliott seemed to bristle at the mere suggestion. “What? N-no, not at all. She was just a patron at the bar who wanted to get to know ‘the great Mirage’. Well, she seemed nice enough and wasn’t really drinking.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking… ashamed. That was the right word. “She was nice and all, but really only wanted to know about the Games. I think I lost her interest when I started talking about my holo-devices. Pretty sure she snapped a selfie with me while I was sleeping. I’m sure that’ll go over well with my mom.” 

Realizing he had left something on the stove, he rushed back over and flipped… something onto a plate. 

“Want breakfast? Or brunch. Well, it’s kind of late. Can’t even qualify it as lunch. ‘Linner’?” He shrugged, staring down at the plate. 

After an awkward silence hung over them, he looked over his shoulder at her. “You okay? You slept a long time. You had me worried the first day, but you seemed to be breathing. Oh yeah, I cleaned up some of your gear… it’s folded in the laundry room. I left your devices in your room, hope you noticed it.” 

_Days._

Renee’s eyes must have gone wide with alarm, but he raised his hand. “Hey, it’s fine. You didn’t miss much. Once I realized you were… y’know, alive and breathing, I figured you needed the rest. You looked like you needed it the other day.” 

She furrowed her brows again. She had never slept that long. Couldn’t remember a time where she could. 

“Water.” 

“Ah, right. I left you one but that must’ve not been enough.” 

She nodded and he fetched her another water bottle and set down a plate in front of her.

“Hope you like French toast.” He said with a typical _Mirage_ smile. 

She stared. It looked like a piece of toast but not exactly _toasted_. It smelled sweet. 

“Uh, I can make you something else if ya want.” 

“I’ve never had this before.” 

This time, it was Elliott’s turn for his eyes to go wide. “Well, you’re in for a treat. Mom’s recipe. The secret is to use brioche bread.” He set down a bottle of syrup on the table and sat down with his own plate. 

Renee eyed it hesitantly but followed his lead after watching him pour a bit of syrup over the French toast. She took a bite, and she had to admit. It _was_ a treat. 

“So…” he said after swallowing a mouthful. He pointed his fork at her. “You ready for the Games in a couple of days?” 

She nodded. “I need to train and practice a bit more, but yes. Are you?” 

“Ready as ever. Hear there’s a new guy, he streams his stunts or something. Wonder who’s gonna get him on his team.” 

Renee shrugged. “As long as he’s a competent ally, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Games, who will Wraith squad up with?

“What’d I tell ya about taking stims?” Lifeline’s voice yelled over the comms, over gunfire. 

Renee had never met her before, and the woman seemed nice enough, until she realized she was on the same squad as the newcomer. Apparently, she knew him. 

Laughter was the only response and something Renee might have been able to call a battle cry. Then an explosion. 

“Are ya trying to get your prosthetics blown off?” Lifeline, again. “Where’s our squad mate?” 

Renee banged her fist against the desk. The computer had been useless. She grabbed her drive, shoving it into a bag before readying her gun and sprinting outside. She could see a squad focusing their fire on her two squad mates. Two of them were keeping Lifeline pinned behind a crate. Another was turning to look up. She followed his gaze only to see Octane soaring through the air, gun spraying in the direction of the squad that was attacking them, a battle cry on his lips. 

“What the-” she managed to hear one of her enemies’ shout before Octane’s prosthetics collided with his chest, sending him stumbling back. 

The two other members of the squad turned, panicked that their third was knocked out. Renee pulled the trigger, spraying bullets into one of them before they could open fire on her squad mate. They collapsed, bleeding out. 

Octane pulled a syringe of some green liquid as he ducked behind a crate for cover. He jabbed it into his chest, injecting whatever was inside it into his body. Renee froze at the sight of it, her mind flashing back to a lab assistance holding a needle and approaching her. She could hear Octane running around the cover, gun in hand as he ran for the last person in the squad. 

The last person in the squad had moved, though. They had run for cover and stumbled upon her. Before she could snap out of it, she heard the muffled sound of gunshots and the pain is what tore her from the memory. She choked on her gasp as she fell back. Luckily, Octane was there before the last person could finish her off. 

Lifeline sprinted up, sliding to her knees as she neared Renee. “I’ve got ‘er, cover us.” She ordered Octane, who didn’t hesitate to climb up onto the crate to give himself a better view of the area. The combat medic assessed her injuries quickly as her drone projected a shield to protect them in case someone _did_ shoot at them. Before long, the medic was pulling Renee to her feet. 

Renee blinked as Lifeline looked her in the eye. “I-” 

“I think you’re in shock, just take a minute to breathe, then we’re movin’.” The medic brushed her off before readying her gun and giving the area another sweep. 

Renee listened, taking in a deep breath and steady her pounding heart. She glanced towards Octane. They were just stims, she reminded herself. She was free, she was safe. 

Well, as safe as she could be while fighting in a blood sport. 

Octane must have noticed the look, because he leaned his weight onto one prosthetic, the other tapping at an unnervingly rapid pace. “What’s the matter, compadre?” 

She frowned. “I’m bad around injections.” 

The tapping stopped for just a moment as he seemed to consider her words. She couldn’t see his face, his reaction, beneath the mask and goggles. “No problema, I’ll try to make sure I’m out of sight next time.” He made a gesture with his left hand, leaving only his middle and ring finger folded down. He laughed to himself. “Now come on, amigo, we’ve got some ass to kick.” 

He was so quick to get moving, that made Renee stare after him in surprise before following. Lifeline fell into pace beside her. “Don’t let ‘im spook ya. He may have idiotic ideas, but he’s a good squad mate. _Sometimes.”_ She emphasized, loud enough for Octane to hear her, who simply laughed in response. 

“Wait, isn’t he new here?” Renee’s brows furrowed. 

“Yeah, but we’ve been friends since we were little. After he blew off his legs,” she paused to glare in his direction. “I helped ‘im get his prosthetics _and_ the dialysis machine that filters his blood, so he doesn’t die from taking too many of those damn stims. Didn’t even take proper time to recover.” 

Octane paused to turn towards them, still bouncing in place, even making a show of sprinting in place. “Come on, come on, come on, we’ve got to _go.”_

_Grenade._

Renee’s attention snapped to the field around them and sure enough, there was a grenade soaring through the air towards them. “Run!” She ordered. 

Thankfully, Octane and Lifeline didn’t hesitate. 

Octane pulled a disk from one of his bags that expanded as he threw it. His jump pad. Her two squad mates jumped on it, soaring through the air towards what seemed like safety, Octane even sending out returning fire as bullets from their attackers began to shoot at them. 

Renee ran for the jump pad and took it; a bullet tore through her and she dove into the void. Quiet, but only for a moment as she assessed the situation. Around her, other hers were fighting, falling. Too many scenarios, too many of the same outcomes. She bit the inside of her cheek and exited the void, only for a bullet to rip through her chest. Renee gasped and collapsed forward into the coarse sand and dirt. 

Lifeline called out orders to Octane, who surprisingly listened to them. 

Renee could feel her body growing colder as far too much blood than she cared to look at stained her clothes. She tried to crawl to safety, but bullets were still impacting around her, kicking up sand. 

“Fall back into those buildings, we’ll bunker up.” Lifeline ordered Octane, who already began making his way there. 

The combat medic looked to Renee and was already pulling her banner off her arm. “Sorry, we’ll get ya back on your feet if we get the opportunity.” were the last words Renee heard before her life ebbed from her.


End file.
